Valve



HQ w. RICE "Feb. 5, 1946.

vALv'B Filed Jan. 22, 1944 MMG H a 4 INVENTOR WITNESSES;

EM /m Patented Feb. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE VALVE HaroldRice, Lynwood, Calif .assignor to Grayson Heat Control, Ltd, Lynwood,Calif., a corporation of California Application January 22, 1944, SerialNo. 519,301

This invention relates to valves and, more particularly, to multiplevalve members mounted for reciprocation in unison toward and .away fromtheir seats.

One object of the invention is to ensure accurate alignment of two ormore valve members with their respective valve seats.

Another object of the invention is to apply substantially equal seatingpressure to the multiple valve members.

Another object of the invention is to afford selfcompensation in thevalve structure for unavo dable inaccuracies in manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, whereinFig. 1 is a cross-section of the solenoid operated multiple valve;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line III.III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a detail in an alternative form of multiple valveconstruction; and

Fig. 5 is a partial section of a detail in a further alternative form ofvalve construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the structure shown in Fig.1 comprises a valve body Hl having outlet openings 12 and M at oppositeends thereof in substantially axial alignment. An inlet opening I5 isalso formed in the body preferably normal to the outlet openings 12 andM and substantially midway therebetween. The inlet opening 16 is spacedfrom the plane of the outlet openings l2 and I4 and opens directly intoa valve chamber l8 which is recessed into the body Hi from one endthereof. The outlet openings l2 and I4 communicate with the valvechamber l8 by angular passages 20 and 22.

extendin to the bottom wall of the valve member 18 and having suitablevalve seats 24 and 26 formed at the juncture therewith.

The open end of the valve chamber I8 is closed by the casing portion 28of a solenoid operator which is secured to the body l0 by means of thescrews 39. The solenoid operator. may contain the usual coil 32enclosing a stationary core -34 which abuts the closed end of a.cup-shaped container 36. Reciprocable in the container 35 is a plunger38 of special form wh ch is biased toward the open end thereof by a coilspring 40 mounted in the plunger and engaging the closed end of thecontainer. Entrance of leakage fluid to the solenoid operator isprevented by the provision of a packing retainer 42 secured in a recessbetween the casing :28 and valve body Ii! and containing a suitablepacking or sealing ring '44 which extends around the projecting end ofthe container 33 for the purpose.

"The plunger 38 is somewhat longer than the container 35 and projectstherefrom into the valve chamber 18 adjacent the bottom wall thereof.The projecting end of the plunger is provided with an axial opening forthe reception of one end of a valve stem 46. This end of the valve stem46 may be knurled or otherwise formed to ensure close fitting andadjoins an enlarged portion 48 of the valve stem defining a shouldertherebetween, The enlarged portion '48 also adjoins a head 59 on thevalve stem '45 defining a second shoulder thereon.

The enlarged portion 48 has its shoulder engaged with the end of theplunger 38 and carries a retaining member 52 and a spacing member "54which together are preferably slightly thinner than the dimension of theenlarged portion '48 between the shoulders thereon. The re- 1 tainingmember 52 is preferably flexible and may erally conical in form and eachmay have a centering pin 60 depending therefrom. Thelarger end of eachof the conical-shaped valve members 58 is formed into a head forengagement with the bifurcated end 56 of the retaining member 52 and forthis purpose is provided with a neck portion 62 which is loosely engagedby the bifurcated end :56. Preferably, the neck portion 62 is providedwith oppositely disposed ball-faced shoulders thereon spaced one fromthe other and with which the opposite faces of the bifurcated endportion 56 is adapted for edge contact respectively as the valve stem isreciprocated in one direction or the other. In view of the looseengagement between the bifurcated ends and the 'neck portions it isapparent that the edge conembodiment. provided on the retaining member64 may be gether with the spacing washer 54.

the solenoid coil 32 will cause the valve members 58 to becomedisengaged from the seats 24,

'26, thus admitting fluid from the inlet it through angular passages 25,22 to both outlet openings I2 andl. When the solenoid coil 52 isdeenergized, the plunger 38 dropsunder the bias of 7 spring 40 and bygravity to seat the valve members. Owing to the difference in depth ofthe retaining member 52 and washer 54 jointly with respect to theenlarged portion 48'of the valve thickness of the retaining member andspacing washer 54. The conical'portion 18 of the valve member 68provides the shoulder upon which spacing washer 54 is seated and thustakes the place of the head 50 described in connection with e theprevious embodiment.

stem, a slight IOCklllg motion of the retaining member'52 on the valvestem is provided for.

involve the use of valve members of slightly different lengths will notaffect the accurate seattween' the'valve members 58 and the bifurcatedends 56 of the retaining member 52 provides sufficient, freedom betweenthese parts to insure accurate alignment. of the valve members withtheir respective seats. It is apparent, therefore, that with thismultiple valve construction there is no danger that a complete shut-offof fluid flow through 'the multiple ports will not occur when the coil32 of the solenoid operator is deenergized. l

A modified form of retaining member is disclosed in Fig. 4. In. thisembodiment, instead of the two valve members disclosed in Fig. 1, fourvalves are used and the retaining member is modified accordingly. Thus,the outlet open ings may be spaced in cruciform relation one with theother in the valve body and four valve members 58 be provided tocooperate therewith. The retaining member 54 in this embodiment isprovided with spaced arms 64 and 56 which are connected at'their centerportion by a transverse arm 68. The transverse arm 68 i per forated forthe reception of the valve stem enlarged portion 4-8 as in thepreviously described The bifurcated ends which are similar in allrespectsto those described inconnection with Fig. l. The modified formof reequal seating pressure thereto.

A further modification shown in Fig. 5 takes 7 the form' of anadditional valve member 68 which is carried by the plunger 38 in placeof the valve stem 45 of the previously described embodiment.

As in the case of the valve stem, the valve mem-' ber 68 may be providedwith a knurled portion 10 secured in the axial opening in the plunger 38and may project therefrom into operative engagement with a valve seat 12formed in the central portion of the valve body If). The valve seat 12may communicate with a passage 14 thus providing an outlet in additionto those previouslydescribed. As in the case of the valve stem of thep'revious embodiment; the knurled portion 10 may adjoin an enlargedportion 16 on which the retaining member 52 or 64 may be carried to-Provision for rocking movement of the retaining member 52 or may also bemade by the enlarged por- It will be apparent that many modificationsmay be made in the arrangement and combination of parts and in thedetailed construction herein disclosed within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit of the invention. 7

I claim: 1. In a valve, an axially reciprocable valve stem, a pluralityof separate valve seats spaced radially from the axis of said stem, aplurality of valve members engageableone with each said seat, a reducedportion defining spaced shoulders on said stem, a reduced portiondefining spaced shoulders on each valve member, a retaining memberhaving an aperture intermediate the ends thereof in which said reducedstem portion is loosely received for movement of said retaining memberbetween said shoulders on'said stem, and bifurcated end portions on saidretaining member extending into proximate relation with said reducedportion of each valve membensaid valve members being axiallyreciprocable in unison toward and away from said valve seats and inpaths substantially'parallel with said valve stem axis by engagement ofsaid bifurcated ends and valve member shoulders, said'retaining memberhaving limited rockin movement relative to said stem and said valvemembers. having limited 'members and each said valve member may assumeconcentric relation with its seat upon engagement therewith. v

2. A valve comprising a, casing having a valve chamber, a plurality ofoutlet openings and a common inlet opening in said chamber, said outletopenings being spaced radially on opposite sides of one said openinglocated at the center portion thereof, a valve stem mounted in saidcasing for reciprocation axially in said valve chamber, a valve membercarried axially by said valve stem for engagement with said centeroutlet, av retainin member secured to said valve stem by said valvemember for limited rocking cmove'ment thereon, and a-plurality of othervalve members carried by said retaining memberand reciprocable axiallyin paths substantially parallel with said valve stem axis for engagementwith the other said outlet opening simultaneously with the engagement ofthe first'said valve member and center outlet.

3. A valve comprising a casing having a valve chamber, a plurality ofoutlet openings and a common inlet opening in said chamber, said outletopenings being spaced in cruciform relation one with the other, a valvestem mounted in said casing for reciprocation axially in said valvechamber, a retaining member having spaced arms connected by a transverseportion secured to said valve stem, and a plurality of valve memberstion 16 having greater depth than thcombined V carried by said spacedarms and reciprocable thereby axially in paths substantially parallelwith said valve stem axis for engagement on with each of said outletopenings. HAROLD W; RICE.

